Mail-exchange device



MAIL EXCHANGE DEVICE Filed March 3 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 6/600 5 ram zm Aug. 4, 1925. 1,548,417

0. EGRAHAM MAIL EXCHANGE DEVICE Filed March 5 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwoentoz 6760a 15 rakam mally held A one which can be ata small c'ost;

Patented Aug. 4, 1925.

UNITED STATES CLEOD E, GRAHAM, 0F LOGAN, UTAH.

MAIL-EXCHANGE DEVICE.

Application filed March 3, 1924. Serial No. 696,680.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Citron E. GRAHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Logan, in the county of Cache and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Mail-Exchange Device, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates-to an improved de vice for receiving mail from and for delivering mail to fast moving express trains and the like.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of an improved mail exchange apparatus embodying a novel station platform supported-standard for receiving and delivering mail to a train, the standard being so constructed as to absorb all shock incident to the reception of the mail, thereby effectively eliminating breakage thereof.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a station platform supported standard embodying, a swinging post nor in a raised operative position spring means, the post being swing. to a lowered position tension of said spring means the delivery of a mail sack by suitable adapted to against the incident to thereto.

A further object of the invention is the provision of anovel holder for the swinging post which is adapted to releasably hold the post in a lowered position, when the same has been moved to such position by the placing of a mail sack thereon.

A further object of the invention is the provision of novel' means for resiliently mounting the holder for the post, sothat the same will give during thev downward swinging movement of the post.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a novel. head carried by the station. platform and train, each head being -'so"- constructed as to receive a mail bag and to permit a mailbag to be taken therefrom in a single operation.

A. still further object of the invention is the provision of an improved mail exchange apparatus of? the above character, which will be durable and eflicient in use, one that will be simple andeasy'to manufacture, and placed upon 1 the market Withth-es'e andother objects in view, the

invention consists in. the novel construction,

will be hereinafter more specifically described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which drawings:

Figure 1 is an elovation of the improved station platform supported part of the mail exchange apparatus.

Figure 2 is an edge elevation of the same.

Figure 3- is a top plan view of the. complete mail exchange apparatus showing-the same connected with a station platform and train.

Figure 4 is an enlarged. fragmentary section through the upper end of the holder for the swinging post of the mail exchange apparatus showmg'the post in its lowered position and the holder for the post in its tripped or locked position.

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical section through the holder for the swinging post illustrating the same in its set positionfor receiving the post, and

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail side elevation partly in section of one of the heads for receiving a mail bag and for delivering a mail bag.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter A generally indicates the station supported part of the mail exchange apparatus; B the platform upon which the same is secured; C the train supported part of the improved apparatus, and D a train upon which the same is mounted. r

The platform B and train D can be of the usual character and the same will not be described in detail in this application.

The platform supported part A and the train supported part 0 are of substantially the same construction and therefore, for the sake of brevity only one of these parts willbe described in full.

As shown the part A comprises a supporting standard 10, which is secured rigidly in position in any preferred Way, asindicated by the reference character 11. This supporting standard 10 has connected to its upper enda suitable post 12', by the use of ahinge 13'. The upper end of the post 12 is provided with a laterally projecting arcuate' extension 13 which carries a head 14, which forms one of the salient features of this device. Thishead 14 is arranged parallel with the tracks of the railroad and consistsof" a laterally po-inted arm 15 which is adapted to receive a mail bag and oppositely extending laterally disposed substantially cylindrical arm 16 from which a mall bag is adapted to be taken. In order to prevent the accidental displacement of the mail bag from the arm 15 when the same is delivered thereto, a pivoted spring pressed dog 17 is provided and this dog has it outward swinging movement hunted by the use of a suitable stop 18 and it can be seen that when the mail bag is delivered on the arm 15 the same will strike the dog 17 and swing the same inward. When the bag passes the dog, the same will aga n swing outward which will of course retaln the bag in position thereon.

The bag which is to be taken from the arm 16 is also retained thereon by the use of a suitable swinging dog or catch 19.

This dog or catch 19 is normally held in' a raised position by a suitable contractile coil spring 20. lVhen the bag is forcibly removed from the arm 16 the dog 19 will be swung outwardly and downwardly against the tension of the spring 20 thereby removing the bag from the said arm.

In order to hold the post 12 in a vertical raised position, I provide a relatively heavy contractile coil spring 21 which has its lower end secured to a bracket 22 connected with the platform or other stationary part. The upper end of the spring 21 is connected through the use of a'strap 23 with an areuate arm 24 formed on the lower end of the post.

It is to be noted at this point that when a mail bag is delivered to the arm 15 the shock incident to its operation will swing the post 12 downward with considerable force against the tension of the spring21.

In order to absorb the shock of the downward swinging arm and to hold the same in its lowered position so as to permit the mail bag to be taken from oft of the arm 15 and to permit a mail bag to be placed on the arm 16 if so desired, a holder 25 is provided. This holder 25 embodies a cylinder 26 which is rigidly secured to the station platform or some other rigid part.

This cylinder 26 slidably receives a post 27 around which is coiled a shock absorbing spring 28. One end of the spring 28 bears against a suitable washer 29 rigidly attached to the post 27 and this washer is adapted to bear against the upper wall of the cylinder. The lower end of the spring rests against a suitable guide 30 carried by the cylinder. The upper end of the sliding post 27 carries a U-shaped head 31 which is adapted to receive the post when the same is thrown downward. Now it can be seen that when the post forcibly strikes the head 31 the spring '28 will tend to ab-' sorb the shock of the moving post 12 and ment. In order to hold the post 12 in its lowered position in the head 31 against the tension of the spring 21, a platform 32 is slidably mounted in the lower end of the head 31 and this platform 32 is carried by a rod 33 slidably mounted in the post 27. An expansion spring 34 is carried about the rod 33 and has its upper end engaging the platform 32 and its lower end engaging the head 31. The upward movement of the platform 32 is limited by the stop pin 35 carried by the said head.

A pivoted trigger 36 is carried by one arm of the U-shaped head 31 and this trigger 36 is provided with a relatively long tapered arm 37 that is arranged in the path of the moving platform 32. The spring 38 is arranged between the long arm 37 of the trigger and the head 31, for normally holding the said arm of the trigger in the path of the platform.

A sliding lock bar 39 is carried by the U-shaped head 31 and is adapted to slide across the open portion of the head when the post 12 strikes the platform 32 for holding the hose 12 in its lowered position. This lock bar 39 is connected by a slot and pin joint 40 with a substantially bell crank shaped lever 41. This bell crank shaped lever 41 is pivoted at its angle on a suitable pivot bolt 42 carried by a collar 44 which is attached to the post 27. A contractile coil spring 45 has one end secured to the bell crank shaped lever 41 above its pivot 42 and its opposite end connected with the head 31. The part of the lever 41 below the pivot constitutes a handle 46 for a purpose which will be hereinafter more fully described.

It can be seen that the spring 45 normally tends to move the lock bar 39 across the open portion of the head 31 and this movement is prevented by the trigger 36 which engages a notch in the under face of the bar andholds the lock bar in a set position as clearly shown in Figure 5 of the drawlugs.

When the platform 32 is lowered by the swinging post 12 the same will actuate the trigger 36 which will pull the trigger out of engagement with the walls of the notch in the lock bar and permit the sliding of the lock bar 39 to a position shown in Figure 4 of the drawing which will hold the swing ing post 12 in its lowered position.

Now as stated, the train supported part C of the apparatus is the same or substantially the same as the plat-form sup orted part A and thus the train supporte part 0 also includes a head 50 embodying oppositely extending lateral arms 51 and 52 which are the same as the parts 15and 16.

In operation of'the improved device, a mail bag is placed upon the arm.16 of the station supported part A and on the arm 52 of the train supported part C in the manner heretofore described. Now as the train D rushes past the platform B the pointed arm 15 will engage the mail bag on the arm 52 and carry the same from ofi of the arm 52, while the pointed arm 51 will take the mail bag from off of the arm 16. The catches or dogs 17 will function in the manner described and hold the mail bags against dis placement. The post 12 will be swung forcibly downward incident of the shock of the delivery of the mail bag thereto and will thus be swung downward into engagement with the holder 25 and held it in its lowered position as hereinafter described.

The mail bags used with the improved mail exchange apparatus are of the novel construction and are indicated by the reference character E. As shown, each mail bag E embodies the usual body portion 60 of the ordinary construction and a head 61 which is attached to one end of the body portion 60. This head 61 includes a pair of lateral transversely aligned rings 62 which are adapted to be placed upon the arms 16 or 52 as is apparent from the draw- 1n s.

Ilhanges in details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of this invention.

What I claim as new is:

1. In a railway mail exchange apparatus, a rigidly supported standard, a swinging post carried by the standard, a mail receiving and delivering head carried by the post, resilient means normally tending to hold the post in a raised operative position, the post being adapted to move to a lowered position against the tension of said spring means incident to the delivery of a mail bag to said head, a holder for the post arranged in the path of the swinging movement there-- of, shock absorbing means associated with the holder, and a post actuated trip carried by the holder for engaging the post when the same is swung to its lowered position.

2. In a railway exchange apparatus, a rigidly supported standard, a swinging post carried by the standard, resilient means normally holding the post in a raised position, a mail delivering and receiving head carried by the post, the post being adapted to be moved to a lowered position incident to the delivery of a mail bag to the head, a holder for the post arranged in the path thereof including a cylinder, a shock absorbing plunger slidably mounted within the cylinder, a U-shaped head carried by the plunger for receiving the post when the same is in its lowered position, a spring pressed platform carried by the head adapted to be engaged by the post, a sliding locking bar carried by the open end of the U-shaped head, spring means normal- 1y urging the locking bar to a locked position, and a pivoted platform operated trip for normally holding the locking bar in an inoperative position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLEOD E. GRAHAM.

Witnesses:

G. L. NELSON, DAN S. CARROLL. 

